Coupling.



Patented Dec. Il, |900.

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No. 663,7I0.

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WITN ESSES No. 663,7I0. Patented Dec. Il, |900.

J. WILLISON:

l'UPlQING.`

(Application led Mar. B, 1900..

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HHIIHH IJNTTED STATES PATENT Ottica".

JOHN WILLISON, OF CLEVELAND, OHIO, ASSIGNOR TO TI-IE NATIONAL MALLEABLE CASTINGSCOMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

COUPLING.

.SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,710, dated December 11, 1900.

Application led March 8, 1900.

To @ZZ wto'n/t t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WILLIsoN, of No.

7 Berghoif street, Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Couplers, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, i'n which- Figure l shows a sectional plan View of a car-coupler constructed in accordance With my invention. Fig. 2 is a like view showing the parts in a diiferent position. Figs. 3, 4, and 5 are sectional plan views of another form of my improvement, showing three different positions thereof. Fig. 6 is a vertical section on the line VI VI of Fig. 3. Fig. 'is a sectional plan view of a third form of my invention. Fig. Sis an irregular vertical section on the line VIII VIII of Fig. 7.

The principal object of my invention is to provide a coupler Which shall have an eflicient bufng spring action Within the limits of space afforded by present pilot and tender couplers which are made Without springs. The restricted space afforded by such couplers imposes many difficulties upon their construction; but I believe that all have been satisfactorily met by my invention.

In Figs. l and 2, 2 represents the couplerhead, which may be of any suitable construction, having a locking-knuckle 3 and a shank 4. 5 is a socket within which the shank is set and to which it is connected by a pin 6, the vertical hole 7 in the shank being made, preferably,three-sided and larger in its lateral and longitudinal dimensions than the pin, so

as to permit loose motion of the coupler-head, such as is required in buliing, and also per-V mitting lateral motion and oscillation thereof. The inner Walls 8 8 of the socket 5 converge .toward the rear, and I set between them blocks 9 9, which are socketed to receive an interposed spring l0 and are set in a groove at the rear end of the coupler-shank. The ends of the blocks are inclined or rounded to match the converging Walls 8 8, and their action is such that if' a bufflng force be appliedV to the coupler the Walls 8 8 Will cause the blocks as they are moved back along the Walls to be forced together, compressing the serial No. 7,906. (No model.)

spring and affording a yielding resistance to the bufling motion. The spring then exerts its pressure to force the blocks toward the inclined walls 8 8. This is shown clearly by dotted lines in Fig. l. If the coupleris rocked to one side or the other', the blocks will shift within the cavity of the socket, as shown in Fig. 2, and will afford all the flexibility necessary for this purpose. The rocking motion of the springs will not be substantially compressed. The coupler head and shank will also move bodily sidewise within the limits afforded by the large hole 7. This is desirable to permit t-he couplers to accommodate themselves to motions of the cars in passing over switch-points, dto. These motions are effected with entire facility, and although, as shown in the drawings, the device has a very small compass it will meet all the conditions of uses of pilot or tender couplers. As the springs are transverse and are assisted by the frictional resistance of the inclined surfaces, comparatively light springs may be employed with success.

In Figs. 3, 4, 5, and 6 I show another form of my invention specifically claimed herein, in which the coupler has not only a spring buffing action and a spring rocking action, but also has a lateral spring motion in a straight line and a spring pulling or draft action. For these purposes the shank 4' of the coupler is formed at each side with opposilelyinclined faces 1l l2, against which tit opposite blocks 13 13, having inclined ends which match and fit against the faces ll l2 and provided With springs la, interposed between the blocks and the ends ofa case l5, in which the blocks are set. The case l5 is pivoted to the socket 5 bya pin 6, which also passes through the large hole 7 in the shank of the coupler. The construction is such that if the coupler is pushed back in buffing the faces l2 l2 Will push the blocks 13 13 against the springs 14, which thus give a spring bufing resistance, and if it is pulled forward under draft the inclined faces 1l ll will act in a similar manner, both of said actions being illustrated by dotted lines in Fig. 3. When passing over switch-points or when for any other reason a lateral force is applied to the coupler-head, it will move laterally against the block 13 at IOO - one side or the other, compressing the spring In Figs. 7 and 8 I show another form of my invention, in which the coupler-head hasv a yspring buffing and draft and also a spring side motion and a rocking motion. In this case the coupler-head has lat the shank on each side inward lyconverging sides 16 17, opposite to which are blocks 13 13', backed by springs 14: and having guide-stems 16 fitting Within the springs. The blocks iit against the shank at the middle portion and have guiding projections 1S, fitting in grooves 19 in the sides of the socket or case 5', in which the parts are contained. If the coupler is pulled forward under draft, the inclined faces 17 will move the blocks 13 13 against the springs, and if the coupler is pushed back under buflng the inclined faces 16 will move the blocks and compress the springs. The coupler may also be moved bodily to one side or the other against the springs, and by forming spaces S between the inclined faces of the blocks and the shank the coupler can be made to rock Without compressing the springs.

Within the scope of my invention as defined in the claims many other changes in the construction may be made by the skilled mechan'io, since l. A coupler having blocks, oppositely-inclined bearing-surfaces at the outer ends 'of the blocks, and an interposed vspring arranged to press the blocks outwardly-g substantially as described.V

2. A coupler having applied to its shank spring bufing mechanism and a socket or case containing the same, said coupler and shank being movable bodily in a lateralv direction against the springs lsubstantially as described.

3. A coupler having applied to its shank spring bufling mechanism 'and a socket or case containing the same, said coupler being pivoted to the case and mounted to rock laterally rtially as described.

without compressing the spring;V substan- 4. A coupler having applied to its shank spring bnffing mechanism, a pin, and a vertical hole, larger in its lateral and longitudinal dimensions than the pin, whereby the shank is adapted to move lengthwise and latorally, s'ubsltantially as described.

5. The combination of a longitudinallymovable coupler having a lateral movement, transverse coiled-spring mechanism, inclined surfaces adapted to coact with the Ycoiledspring mechanism and toresist longitudinal motion of the coupler, and blocks interposed between the spring mechanism and the inclined surfaces; substantially as described.

6. A coupler having applied to its shank 7o blocks with an interposed spring, oppositelyinclined surfaces against which the blocks bear,and a pin on which the shankis mounted; substantially as described.

7. A coupler having applied to its shank 75 spring bufting mechanism and asocket or 'case containing the same; said coupler and shankbeing movable bodily in a lateral direction against the springs, said shank having an enlarged hole or slot through which the pin 8c passes; substantially as described.

8. The combination of a longitudinallymovable coupler having a lateral swinging movement, transversely-acting coiled-spring mechanism,` and inclined surfaces adapted to 85 coact with said spring mechanism and to resist longitudinal motion and rocking motion 'of the coupler; substantially as described.

JOHN wiLLisoN.

Witnesses: l

THOMAS WgBAKEvvELL, D. W. CALL. 

